Untold Stories in the History of Anthropology: Japan, Colonialism, Anglophone Hegemony, and World Anthropologies

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

In what Tomas Gerholm called the “world system of anthropology,” dominated by the United States, Great Britain, and France, the history of anthropology outside these central countries is rarely told. Japan is no exception, despite having one of the largest anthropological associations in the world in terms of membership. To fill this gap in knowledge, this article first describes the development of Japanese anthropology, with particular attention to its origins in the late nineteenth century, when the Ainu were a major object of study, and to Japan’s colonial past in later periods. The relationship between anthropology and folklore studies is also discussed. The article then explains why Japan has been relegated to the periphery in terms of the power imbalance in the academic world system. Japan is not alone in this regard, and the attempt by many concerned people to redress the imbalance has recently led to the “world anthropologies” project. After examining how this project has evolved, the article offers some practical suggestions for its implementation.